Le bassin transfrontalier: Emergence, construction et itinéraire d'un concept

Abstract

This article presents a critical analysis and a historical perspective on the transboundary river basin concept. It focuses on two key moments based on an analysis of the publications on the topic on the web of science database. The first one illustrates the emergence of the concept in the early 1990s and its place in the literature which emphasizes the internationalization of the water management process. In order to demonstrate this phenomenon, the article follows an itinerary among several scientific disciplines from hard sciences (hydrology, ecology) and soft sciences (law, political sciences). The second part of the article is devoted to explaining how the territory of transboundary basins is a social and political construct that illustrates profound changes in the development of international river basins and the influence of international donors, and finally promotes the model of integrated water resources management (IWRM) at the international level.